1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, a method of controlling the same, and a storage medium storing a program for implementing the method, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus configured to create a processing flow for executing a series of processes and serially execute the processes according to the processing flow.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been proposed a multifunction peripheral having a scanner function, a printer function, a facsimile transmission function, an e-mail transmission function, and a file transmission function in an integrated fashion. The use of this type of multifunction peripheral makes it possible to link paper-based paperwork carried out using a copying machine or a facsimile machine and processing of an electronic document on a computer. Specifically, it is possible not only to copy a paper document, but also to transmit a scanned document as image data to a personal computer or a file server without printing out the same.
Further, it is desired that after converting a paper document into electronic form, lots of procedures and processes to be executed on the electronic document by a copying machine are automatically performed by linking the electronic document to the procedures and processes. To this end, there has been proposed a technique in which a link template describing desired settings for items to be set by a copying machine is prepared in advance, and processing is performed by designating the template and after modifying settings as required.
For example, a conventional image forming apparatus is capable of storing a plurality of output configuration data items (link templates) for setting respective output forms, and forming and outputting an image according to a selected one of the output configuration data items (see e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H10-83263).
Further, there has been proposed a technique of causing an image forming apparatus of the above-mentioned type not only to configure settings for its own functions, but also to configure settings of external apparatuses, such as a printer and a scanner, connected to a network, and association with the external apparatuses, to thereby link processes by the image forming apparatus itself and processes by the external apparatuses (i.e. to create a processing flow) (see e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-287861).
However, according to the above-mentioned techniques, once an error has occurred during execution of a processing flow, causing interruption of a series of processes, it is impossible to automatically restart the processing flow even after recovery from the error. Therefore, in order to complete the series of processes, the user is required to accurately determine where in the processing flow the error occurred, and manually cause the processing flow to be resumed from the interrupted point, or to execute the whole processing flow again from the very beginning, which is inconvenient to the user.